War of Titans
by TheVeteran
Summary: The second war has begun and Sirius' death is but the beginning. Harry gets over his grief and begins to train as things start to look darker. Full synopsis within. HHr. Powerful Harry and friends. Rated M for cursing, detailed action, and some scenes..
1. Prologue

**Synopsis: **The war has begun. Sirius' death is but one of the casualties in the war and Harry learns to accept that. He then vows to train and get powerful enough to rid not only England, but the world of evil. As he gains new powers, friends, enemies, allies, training, and more, so does Voldemort. Dumbledore also seemingly begins to train and eventually becomes one of Harry's mentors. However, when new players come into the war, things change, and the entire world is suddenly engulfed in a war led by the most powerful wizards. They are the titans in the war, the ones with immense power that they could reshape the world. Is there enough time to save the world from new enemies AND defeat Voldemort? Is there really any hope?

New powers, weapons, magic, allies, friends, enemies, dangers, twists, evils, and more! A powerful and somewhat independent Harry. His friends also gain much power.

**Ships:**

Harry/Hermione  
Ron/Luna  
Ginny/Neville  
Draco/other female  
Kaji/other female  
Blaise/other female  
Lupin/Tonks  
others...

Hmm, well I hope that I can finish this story this time. The other stories I've written I lost interest in (except the relatively new Halo one - I shall continue that some time soon). Please forgive me and I appreciate ANY reviews at all. Any. It just makes me sad when I don't get reviews. Makes me sort of... give up on writing? Meh. No matter, I hope you enjoy it anyway.

**Veteran**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Potterverse, really. JK Rowling came up with it and I am only extending and adding on to what she already thought of - so I own parts of this story. By no means do I own HP at all and am not making money off of it, blah blah blah... you get the point. On with the story!**

* * *

**War of Titans**

**_Prologue_**

* * *

_No. 4 Privet Drive, Surrey, England..._

Harry Potter stared at the ceiling, hands clenched. His eyes were focused on a point on the ceiling, but if one looked close enough, one would see that his eyes didn't have any focus at all. It seemed he was lost within himself. Battling with the demons within his own mind, oblivious to all around him.

Indeed, that was what he was doing. Battling himself. Guilt, anger, and depression were but some of the emotions that engulfed him as his thoughts raced around his mind.

_'What have I done? Sirius... oh, Sirius... I'm so sorry... it's all my fault! If I hadn't been so rash, if I had learned Occlumency, if I had used the mirror... if only...' _were but some of the thoughts that rolled around his head. The pain in his soul and his heart defied any pain his weak and malnurished body felt.

Truthfully, he had been lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, for three days in a row. Sleeping only when exhaustion finally forced his body to shut down. Yet, even in his dreams, he was plagued with nightmares of Sirius' death at the Ministry, of his friends getting hurt, of his big mistake.

_'It's all my fault... all my fault... his death, my fault. My friends' injuries, my fault. Endangering everyone, my fault. Believing in Voldemort's projected dream, my fault. Believing in Kreacher, my fault...' _he thought dully, his eyes more red than emerald.

He never noticed the figure that had appeared in his room. A pale, translucent, figure of a man with messy black hair and a sad look in his eyes as he saw the sight before him. The figure hovered a foot off the ground, his face full of sorrow and yet care for the sixteen year old boy.

Harry was thin, so very thin. His skin was tight across the muscles he had from Quidditch, he had not an ounce of fat on his body, and in some places his bones were showing. He wore filthy clothes, or they actually looked like large rags for some animal. His hair was unkempt and more unruly, though he also had dirt and filth all over his body. His lips were cracked and dry, his eyes very red, and his skin was dry.

The only part that was wet were two long streaks from the sides of his eyes, down his cheeks, and past his ears. The poor-excuse-for-a-pillow, or a bed for that matter, was thin and he might as well have slept on the floor. The sheets were torn and were also covered with dirt.

The ghostly figure was revolted by the sight, but knew he had to be there. He needed to be there, it was Harry's only hope of surviving. He ran a hand over Harry's face as his fingers went through some parts that he touched. He knew that if he wasn't dead, he would have died from the stench alone. He shook his head, trying not to think of it as tears formed in his eyes.

They fell, though they disappeared into the floor, going through anything in its path.

"Harry..." the figure whispered softly and yet with a slight sob.

The boy with jet-black hair and emerald eyes didn't stir. His breathing was shallow and his heart fluttered excessively. His hands were still clenched, weakly, and were shaking.

"Harry... please... wake up... I-I have to speak with you... Harry.." the figure tried again, breaking down.

_'This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Harry... please! You have greater things ahead of you if you move on, and it's time you did! Oh... you're killing yourself... please wake up! We must speak!' _the figure thought, trying to rouse Harry again.

The boy stirred slightly, but still didn't register the pale ghost that now hovered close to him, staring into his eyes intently.

"Harry... don't do this to yourself... please! Wake up!" cried the ghost, a little louder.

"S-Si...Sirius?" asked Harry very softly. His eyes didn't move at all and the ghost of Sirius was truly worried by then.

"Wake up! Shake yourself out of it, Harry! You're stronger than this... you must be..."

"Si...Si-Sir-Sirius?" asked Harry again, this time his gaze moved to the ghost beside him. Reddish-emerald eyes looked into the dark and yet translucent eyes of the ghost that was his godfather.

"Yes, Harry... we have to talk..." he responded, hoping it wasn't too late.

* * *

_Office of the Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..._

Albus Dumbledore was staring out the window of his office, his blue eyes gazing out into some unknown spot in the horizon. His hands behind his back, he stood perfectly still, and one would actually think he might have been petrified. However, he still moved from breathing and that was the only signs of life from the old headmaster. The portraits in the room were all looking at him, understanding in their eyes. They had been told of what happened by Dumbledore because he needed their help, their advice.

His mind was churning, a deep regret and sorrow welling deep within him. Fawkes trilled, looking at his companion with concern.

The old man finally stirred, unclasping his hands from behind his back and resting them on the window sill. He had come to a decision, one that he knew he needed to do. He had made a big mistake with sending Harry back to his relatives, especially in such a delicate state. He just hoped the young boy was alright and that all those howlers and angry letters sent to him from his friends would stop.

A single tear fell from his left eye, running past his half-moon spectacles and entering his long, white beard. He just hoped he wasn't too late to be forgiven. He needed to mend the rifts and heal the wounds.

He turned to his phoenix, which looked back at him in agreement. They were very closely connected, the other knowing the thoughts and emotions of the other. Fawkes trilled again, ruffling his red and gold feathers.

"Am I too late, Fawkes?" asked the old headmaster softly...

* * *

_Back at No. 4 Privet Drive..._

Harry had long since sat up and leaned against the wall that was next to his bed. He was very weak. He had barely enough strength to even listen to Sirius as his godfather comforted him, however he felt a little better.

"But...it was... it was my-" he tried to say, though his voice croaked and his mouth and throat were dry.

"No, Harry. I cannot say that there is no blame on you, but we all make mistakes. I made a mistake with trusting Dumbledore and keeping you alone with these filthy, horibble muggles. I made a mistake with not keeping in constant contact with you. However, you have to know that I wanted to die defending you. It was the best way for me to die and it was better than dying of old age and boredom in Grimmauld Place!" Sirius replied seriously.

"It doesn't matter that you ran in without getting too much information, I would have done the same thing. I love you, Harry, as if you were my own son. I would do anything for you, and I did do that. I died protecting you. I died with the knowledge that you would still be alive, and that was enough. I've seen James and Lily, Harry. They love you so very much and would have come, but the powers above did not will it," he continued, "Wallowing in depressing and self-pity will do no good. You have to be strong, Harry, if you are to defeat that ass, Voldemort. You have to move on..."

"I..." Harry couldn't say anything. All this time, he kept telling himself it was his fault. All his fault. If he hadn't done this, if he had done that instead, everything would have been better. He had been thinking too narrowly. Actually, he hadn't even been thinking straight at all. Sirius was right, he had to move on, but...

"I... I-I can't, Sirius... I m-miss you and..." he trailed off, tears stung his red eyes.

Sirius wished so very much that he could physically hug Harry. He wanted so much to comfort him with his physical presence, but he knew it would not be so. "I miss you too, Harry. I know we could have had such good times, but that isn't possible now. You have to look to the future, don't dwell to much in the past. It will hurt you more than you know," he spoke, "This is a war, Harry. I died in the most honorable way possible for me, in the defense of my family."

With that, Harry smiled a little, though he still felt a lot of guilt and sorrow within him, he could feel it slowly ebbing away. Sirius was right, it was time to move on. He had mourned the loss of his godfather enough.

"No more crying and beating yourself over me. You must get strong and powerful, Harry, or else everyone you love will..." but he left the last part unsaid, looking into Harry's eyes with an even deeper sorrow than Harry's.

"You do not know how much it hurts for me, leaving you in a world where half the people want to kill you and the other half look up to you. Know that I am sorry that I have left you in such a time when you needed me. The world is moving fast, the forces of darkness are already spreading. You are one of the only hopes of the survival of the world, Harry. The survival of the world as we know it. It is time you stop grieving and start training. You will become a very powerful wizard, Harry, that I know, but you must train to get there. I have already left specific instructions in the Black Family vault, which you will own when my will is read. My time is short, now, but know that no matter what happens, I will always love you and watch over you. So will James and Lily, as I am sure they are watching at this very moment," Sirius said quickly.

"A friend of mine once said: _The only reason we fall is so we can learn to pick ourselves up_. The time for mourning has passed, Harry. It is time to pick yourself up and move on. Kill that bastard for me, will you? Avenge my death by defeating Voldie. I have left things in my vault that will help you-" but then he paused, as if someone spoke to him, "my time is up, Harry. We shall forever watch over you. Know that no matter what happens, we will love you. Always. Goodbye, Harry..."

Harry nodded, though he tried to reach out to grab Sirius, who smiled at the effort. "Goodbye, Sirius.." he said weakly.

Sirius was right, once again. He had fallen, hard and fast, but now was not the time to just stay on the floor. He had to pick himself up and make himself stronger so that next time he would not fall. He had to become powerful. He needed to if he was to protect his remaining friends. If he was to defeat Tom.

His mind was racing as he leapt from his bed, intending to eat something and then finish his schoolwork, but the effort drained what little energy he had left. He fell to the ground, his mind dizzy and his vision blurred. The last thing he saw was the door opening and a tall figure rush over to him. Then the darkness flooded around him and he saw no more.

* * *

_Somewhere in England..._

The black-robed figure saw on his black obsidian throne, a snake on his lap. Thin red slits that were his eyes gazed over the heads of his most trusted followers. His Inner Circle. He was seething and his anger rolled off him in waves, bouncing off the walls of the large stone hall and rippling through his followers, making them shiver with fear and anticipation.

No one spoke. No one dared to. They all shifted noiselessly, awaiting their master's command.

"I am weaker than I thought, Naginiiii..." he hissed in parseltongue, a language that only two people in the world could speak. Harry and Voldemort.

"Too long have I been defeated by an old man and a mere boy! It issss unacceptable. I musssst regain my former powerssss.." he continued, his red eyes fastening onto the large snake curled in his lap.

"How are you to accomplissssh thisss tassssk, masssster?" asked Nagini, her tongue flicking out of her mouth.

"You sssshall sssssseee, Naginiii. I have a plan..." he replied, grinning and then cackling evilly. His followers shivered, looking up at him, though not directly into his violent red eyes.

The Dark Lord had a plan...

* * *

_Hospital Wing, Hogwarts..._

"Poppy! Poppy!! Come quickly!" bellowed the headmaster of Hogwarts in a pained and worried voice.

The nurse of Hogwarts groggily got dressed and entered the Hospital Wing. She stopped as she beheld the sight before her.

Albus Dumbledore was weeping openly. He no longer had that familiar twinkle in his eye as he was sobbing and shaking. In his arms lay the limp and barely breathing form of Harry Potter.

Poppy fought back a cry and sob of her own as she quickly tried to block out her emotions. She needed to do this professionally. She loved the boy like a mother, having had to patch him up constantly over the years. He had always been a source of life and happiness, but to see him near death was shocking her to the core.

"Put him on that bed, Albus!" she ordered as strongly as she could, pointing to one of the beds that lined the walls. She turned and ran around, gathering numerous objects on a large tray that she levitated beside her.

Dumbledore gently laid Harry down onto the bed, his cheeks streaked with tears and his face full of sorrow. He was slouching slightly, as if broken from within. He leaned heavily on a staff that he produced out of thin air, his grief-stricken eyes watching the boy who he loved like a grandson.

"Forgive me, Harry... forgive me.." he whispered quietly, another tear escaping his eyes.

A flash of thunder responded, illuminating the dark Hospital Wing. It was going to be a long night...

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Please review, as always. Thanks. 


	2. A Dream?

**Note: **I really appreciate any reviews. Comments and suggestions are welcome as well.

**Veteran**

**Disclaimer: By no means do I own HP at all and am not making money off of it, blah blah blah... you get the point. JK Rowling owns all of the Potterverse except what I added on and this plot.**

* * *

**War of Titans**

**_A Dream?_**

* * *

_Hospital Wing, Hogwarts, a few days later..._

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat quietly next to the bed that Harry now occupied. He was sleeping peacefully, his breathing having returned to normal a few hours earlier. It had been five days since he had brought him here and his heart still hadn't recovered from the wound of seeing Harry at such a state. He had made a terrible mistake and he just hoped the young man would forgive him. It was his fault and he knew that.

Harry had not stirred at all as Poppy nursed him back to health, slowly but surely. He had been malnourished, weak, and exhausted.

She was also shaken by the sight of Harry at such a state, but she had fended it off well enough to let her do her job. He was making a recovery, however slow it was, and all Dumbledore could do was watch and wait.

No amount of magic could bring back Harry from a coma such as this. Comas were tricky things and some say that certain spells could wrench the person's mind away from the darkness, but with the chance of corrupting the mind of the person or even destroying it and driving them mad upon awakening.

So Dumbledore chose to wait.

He needed to be there when Harry woke up. He had to speak with the boy. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

"Just make sure you come back to us, Harry..." he said softly as he sat still, in waiting.

* * *

_Somewhere in England…_

Voldemort looked at all his followers. There were a good five hundred of them from all across Britain. He had lost many forces to the Ministry, the Order of the Phoenix, and other warriors of the 'light', but he knew it was only time before the darkness swept over his enemies.

They milled about, whispering to each other, waiting for him to speak. He thought of his plan that only a genius such as himself could think of. Even Nagini thought it was a great plan, though he already knew that.

"Lucius, come," he called.

A dark-robed figure stepped forward, walked towards the throne, and knelt by his feet, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes.

"You called me, my Lord?"

Voldemort smiled, he could smell the fear in the man, but also he knew that this follower of his was loyal, intelligent, influential, wealthy, and also quite powerful in his own right. He would do well to remain here as his link to England while he was away.

"I have deemed you worthy enough to be the one to lead my forces that are to remain here. They will respond to you and to you alone, except when I call on them. You will do as you see fit, but make sure that your top priority is not to make it seem as if I am no longer here. It is imperative that my absence be kept secret for as long as you are able," he began, his voice hard and cold but full of power.

Lucius nodded, feeling his heart swell in him. This was effectively as close as he could get to being 'promoted'. He was being rewarded for his undying loyalty and service to the Dark Lord and he smiled. England was going to pay while he commanded the forces of darkness here.

"I will not fail you, my Lord," he quickly said, bowing low and kissing the hem of Voldemort's robe once more.

"I know you will not, Lucius. You know the consequences if you do fail me. Do you wish to be reminded of this?" asked the Dark Lord.

Lucius shook his head, his white hair moving slightly. "No, my Lord," he replied. His head was still bowed low, so as not to look into the eyes of his master. They all knew what would happen if you did.

"Furthermore, you must not assault Hogwarts at any time whatsoever."

Lucius looked up at this slightly, wondering why, but he knew better than to interrupt.

"I do not want you to attack Hogwarts because I must lead that attack. It is my right to take hold of what was once my ancestor's castle. Did you know that Slytherin built most of Hogwarts? It was only the other three pathetic fools that added on to it and added the wards and spells. But it was through the hands of Salazar Slytherin that Hogwarts was formed from the Earth," he spoke, his voice actually tinged with pride.

He was known to be the sole remaining Heir of Slytherin, which was fitting since he spoke Parseltongue and he also was a ruthless dark wizard. No, a ruthless dark _lord_. His crimson eyes flashed as he smiled, as if thinking of a pale memory long ago.

"Where was I? Ah yes…. There are to be no direct assaults on Hogwarts, Harry Potter, or that old fool Dumbledore. I shall take care of these things personally upon my return. However, once you have gathered enough resources, I permit you to assault the Ministry itself."

Lucius perked up at this and smiled. Minister Bones was going to pay for accusing him of helping the Dark Lord and for seizing his family's assets. Thankfully, he had transferred much to another account under a false name and so still retained some of his wealth. Too bad that weak and babbling fool, Fudge, was no longer alive. He would have proved a useful tool in the Ministry.

"It shall be done, my Lord. I shall make sure of it," he said with conviction.

Voldemort smiled evilly. He knew he could count on Lucius. He would use the man's undying loyalty and fear of him and twist him to his own purposes. Truthfully, he didn't expect Lucius to last long against the combined efforts of the muggle-loving fool, his Order, and the Ministry.

"Then make it so. I leave in a few hours, Lucius. I shall provide you with fifty Death Eaters. Upon my return, I expect that number to have increased and England ready to be pacified," he dismissed him.

The dark-robed figure with long straight white hair bowed, then stood, careful to keep his head low and his shoulders hunched. He walked down the steps and away from the throne, his steps light and yet purposeful.

_'Yes…He might just do after all. I hope you shall not fail me, Lucius. You are better than some of these idiots here…' _the Dark Lord thought, twirling circles on the obsidian armrest with his index finger...

* * *

_Harry's mind..._

Harry was drifting around, surrounded by nothing. Surrounded by darkness. He had no emotions, no feeling, and no thoughts. He was empty, a shell, and was just there, existing.

Darkness. All around him, flooding over him, and embracing him like a mother to a child. He was wrapped up in it.

Then, a light shone, a tiny light in the distance. A single dot so far it looked unreachable. A speck on the horizon.

He stirred then, felt a strong sensation to move towards the light. Well, to drift towards it, actually. He didn't know why he wanted to, but he knew he had to get to the light. He also knew he had to escape the darkness, yet his mind still was blank.

He reached out as it got bigger, a large hole in the darkness where a warm and bright light emanated. He shivered, suddenly feeling the cold that surrounded him.

He willed himself to get closer, which he did. He stopped right before the circle of light, wondering what he should do now, but then he had the urge to go through it. He didn't question the urge, it felt right somehow.

He flung himself into the light and was instantly blinded. He tried to shut his eyes, but they remained open and unresponsive. It was then that Harry noticed a slight breeze stirring, ruffling his hair slightly. He sensed it as it tingled his exposed skin.

Then all around him, the white light grew dim, turning a dark shade of gray. Suddenly, a bright ball of light materialized in front of him, startling him. Yet he did not move, nor could he, for he was fixed in that one spot in space. Rooted like a tree to the ground, immovable of its own power.

He stared, transfixed, as the ball of light twinkled and sparkled brightly. The light glowed with a blinding flash and before he knew it, sparkling tentacles escaped the ball and pierced his body. He winced, expecting pain, but found a warm, welcoming feeling wash over him.

He didn't even feel the tentacles as they pierced his skin, though there were no wounds nor was there blood. The tentacles went through him and Harry watched as bright groups of light came from the ball and through the tentacles. When they contacted with his body, he felt rejuvenated and energized, as if he could take on Voldemort right then and there.

He smiled, in a state of bliss, as the ball continued its actions for a few more minutes. Then the warmth left Harry, though there was still a little left lingering. He watched as the tentacles withdrew themselves into the ball and then the ball glowed briefly again.

"Human!" it boomed, glowing as it spoke. It's loud and deep voice was commanding and powerful, yet held no hostility.

Harry tried to respond, but found that he could not do so. His mouth opened and his tongue moved, but no sound escaped his lips. Surprised, he tried again, but no matter what he did he could not speak nor could he move.

"You have been chosen to lead your people against the darkness. The clouds of war have gathered and soon will be unleashed upon your world. Darkness shall reign and terror shall abound, but you must hold fast. Reach out and take what friends you find, they will be needed if you are to prevail for unity is the key. Divided, you will fail against the darkness.

Already the darkness is on the move, quick and swift its actions are. Hidden from the eyes of men for now, yet all will be revealed when all is ready. Prepare, for the time draws near. We have given you what aid we can, for we cannot interfere, but know this: the guardian of Earth still lives yet is bound. Seek him and you shall be one step closer to victory," the ball told him.

"If you fail, then all will fail. Even if you find the guardian, you must not fail in your task. All else depends upon you, for we have chosen you. The powers we have granted you now will become available to you upon your return. Know that only the guardian may help you reach your full potential. That is all, the Council of Light has spoken thus," and with that the ball changed into a golden color and then engulfed Harry entirely.

In that split second, Harry swore he saw his parents smiling and waving and Sirius at their side, sad and yet happy at the same time. Then he knew no more...

* * *

_Hospital Wing, the next day..._

Harry stirred.

He was aware of a bright light hitting his eyelids, which reminded him of his dream.

_'Or was it really a dream?' _he thought to himself.

He opened his eyes and they slowly came into focus. He moved, wondering how he had gotten into the Hospital Wing. Perhaps the Order found him?

Well, in any case, he felt well rested and better. In fact, he felt stronger and healthier than he had in years! He grinned as he looked about the Hospital Wing. All the beds were empty, save his, which meant that either it was still summer or no one's been hurt yet with the school year.

He hoped it was the latter. Missing school wasn't really a good thing in his mind, especially since school meant seeing his friends again. However, his thoughts returned to the dream he had. Of course, he wasn't sure anymore if it was a dream.

"Mr. Potter! You are not supposed to be moving yet, especially since you came in here extremely weak, malnourished, and exhausted!" scolded the familiar voice of Madam Pomfrey, though she seemed to have a relieved look on her face.

"But I-" Harry tried to say he was feeling great, but she wouldn't have any of it.

"No, absolutely not! You will stay here until I say you're alright! Now, lie back down and let me check you Mr. Potter," she admonished.

Harry obeyed, though he didn't like it, he knew she meant for the best. Besides, it was better to be safe than sorry as they say.

She proceeded to wave her wand over him, casting a variety of spells that bathed him in certain lights or made him feel strange. She paused for a moment when she did one spell, then she recast the spell before doing it a third time, all the while shaking her head and her eyes wide.

"Oh, my. How could this be?" she muttered to herself, yet it wasn't low enough for Harry not to hear because he did.

"How could his change so greatly over a few days??" she said, "He is not even of age..." she continued.

That was when Harry knew something was different, because one, Madam Pomfrey was shocked about something that changed with him, and two, he could hear her speaking but her lips did not move...

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Very sorry, but my computer broke down after the first chapter. Meh... forgive me. Much thanks to all who reviewed and I hope you like it. Again, any suggestions and comments are welcome. 


	3. Apprentice

I will hopefully write a good enough plot for all of you who have taken a liking to my story. However, I am not perfect, and there may be problems that rise or anything of the sort. If you feel something should be different, don't hesitate to comment on it and I will review the matter. Also, any comments or suggestions are very welcome. Longest chapter yet.

**Veteran**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP at all and am not making money off of this story. JK Rowling owns much of what you see and yet I own other things that you do not recognize. I shall also be citing some things or ideas I may have borrowed from other authors on if I ever do.**

* * *

**War of Titans**

**_Apprentice_**

* * *

_Office of the Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..._

Harry shifted uncomfortably on the chair. He looked around and saw there were still some things that were broken since the last time he was there. He wondered why the Headmaster kept them broken when he could have fixed them all, but he didn't ask the question.

He decided not to tell anyone about his new ability to hear thoughts nor his dream. He had a feeling it was best kept secret for as long as possible.

The old wizard was studying the young boy with messy raven-colored hair. His emerald eyes were filled with power and yet there was still traces of sadness in them. He gently prodded Harry's mind, but suddenly found that accompanying his new boost in power was a near impenetrable wall around his mind. It was untamed and rough, but a wall nevertheless.

Dumbledore knew he finally had to personally teach the boy and train him for what he was destined to do. He had made many mistakes and he had to try to fix them now or risk letting everything fall apart.

"Lemon drop, Harry?" offered the old man, who took one himself and ate it.

Harry shook his head and the offered bowl slid on its own to the far side of the cluttered desk, disrupting some papers along the way.

Dumbledore leaned back, looking at Harry, and spoke, "It was while I was fixing what you broke, Harry, that I came to the realization that I was the one who needed to fix things that I had broken. Such as your trust in me and the image that I have displayed thus far to all of you. There are other things, mistakes, that I have to make up for as well. Not only to you, but to all who I have wronged so very much," he began, his face looked every bit his age and his voice was heavy and yet resolute.

"I have wronged you, Harry, and your parents as well. I hope to make up for that from now on and the first step I must take is this, you will no longer be required to return to the Dursley's. Yes, I know I should have done this long ago, but I was not aware of the full extent of your degredation and despair at that home. I never knew they were such horrible people, you must believe me. Yet another mistake was that I did not see you more over these past few years.

I know that right now you do not trust my words nor my intentions. My past actions have destroyed what trust you had in me, but I hope to start anew. The gaps can be bridged. Now, the next thing I must do is to come clean with you. Ask any question and it shall be answered as truthfully as I can and to the extent of my knowledge," Dumbledore suddenly stopped and looked at him expectantly, though with a hint of true sadness from his mistakes.

Harry didn't know what to do or what to say, or ask in this matter. Yes, he was having trouble trusting the old man right now. Did he truly wish to mend the wounds and bridge the gaps that he, himself, created? Was he truly interested in coming clean? His mind was buzzing with questions but he could not bring himself to ask. He wasn't sure if he would get the truth or the lies, even if Dumbledore said he would give him the truth.

"Well, I-... you're right, sir. I have lost all faith and trust in you, especially regarding how you handled my connection with Voldemort and... and Sirius. Even now I wonder whether you are sincere or merely trying to manipulate once more," Harry began slowly.

Dumbledore nodded, his face grave and yet determined, "I suspected as much. Indeed, I cannot express how deeply I regret the folly of my actions. How my intents, actions, and thoughts have led you to harm one way or another. I have tried to shield you and protect you, Harry, this is the truth. Yet in doing so I endangered you and hurt you. The complete opposite of what I had hoped to do," he told him.

"Trust in me, in this instant, that what I am telling you comes from the bottom of my heart," he paused, "I care for you greatly, Harry. More than you may think, and it is this care that has led me to think of what I have done and the mistakes I have made. It has also led me to think of ways to mend the breaks in our relationship," he finished.

"So... no more hiding me in the dark? No more coddling and shielding me from Voldemort and his cronies?" asked Harry, eyeing Dumbledore with less suspicion.

"Well, I will tell you any information that you ask of me and anything that is directly relevant or related to your actions. Knowing everything may be too much, especially since you must focus on the more important tasks," replied Dumbledore, "I shall coddle you no longer and, in fact, if you will have me, I would like to train you as an apprentice. It is high time that I do so."

Harry was taken aback. Again the old man surprised him and he didn't know what to say. Well, should he refuse? After all the damage and hurt he has caused? But he did apologize and he does seem sincere. He is different from the Dumbledore that Harry used to know. A better Dumbledore, in Harry's opinion.

"I'll... I'll think about it," Harry replied hesitantly. He would think deeply on the matter, that was for sure.

"As for shielding you from Voldemort and his cronies, I can promise you this. I will try to deter you from fighting Voldemort until I feel you have a chance or are at his level. Perhaps, you may even surpass him one day."

Harry nodded, that was fair enough.

"Why did you let Snape break into my mind relentlessly if you could have taught me yourself?" he asked, "In fact, why is that greasy git even in your employ, let alone in the Order?"

Dumbledore winced at that, slightly, and then looked pensieve for a moment, as if contemplating how much to tell Harry. He sighed deeply before he spoke, "I was hoping you would have another dream about Voldemort. _Professor _Snape was told nothing of his plans at the time, nor was his inner circle informed, and I was worried about what he was planning. I had hoped to use you to find out Voldemort's plan so that I could mobilize the Order to stop him," replied Dumbledore in a sad but hard voice.

"Harry, what happened between me and _Professor_ Snape all those years ago will remain private and secret until he decides to release that information. However, I can assure you that Professor Snape is loyal to the cause, which is to topple Voldemort.

I cannot say exactly if he is for the light, but I am sure he supports me fully for now. I have complete confidence in him in the matter of his spying and he is one of the best potions masters in Europe," stated Dumbledore, clasping his hands together and resting his head on his hands. He eyed Harry with his twinkling blue eyes through his half-moon spectacles.

Harry nodded, though he wasn't truly satisfied with the answer.

"How many people do you have in the Order? How many followers does Voldemort have?" he asked, wondering what the numbers were.

"I am certain Voldemort has more than half-a-thousand followers. As for the Order, we have about three hundred members. Fifty of which form the core of the Order and are the strongest and most experienced wizards we could get to join."

"What about the Hitwizards?"

Dumbledore sighed and leaned back in his chair, unclasping his hands as he did so. He stroked his long white beard with one hand as he replied, "What do you know about the Hitwizards, Harry?"

Harry thought about it and found he knew very little aside from the fact that they existed. He knew they were elite and exemplary in their magical skills and powers. He also knew they were extremely picky about who could join and also outranked nearly everyone except actualy high-ranking Ministry officials. He told Dumbledore this and the old man nodded.

"I thought you would not know much about them. See, Harry, they are indeed very professional aurors. They are the elite crust of aurors, actually, since that is where most of their ranks come from. However, not only are they proficient in magic and pretty powerful, but they are also extremely well organized and intelligent. Think of them as the Navy SEAL or SWAT team or maybe even the Delta Force of the Ministry," Dumbledore explained, showing a little of his knowledge about muggle armed forces.

"One of the reasons I could not get them to join is because they are extremely loyal to the Ministry and ex-Minister Fudge was very secretive and selfish about them. They answered only to him as well, which made them arrogant, proud, and greedy of their power and position. Since then, though, those who were dangerously arrogant and greedy were removed, and now Minister Bones is keeping them on a tight leash.

They will, of course, be collaborating with us in our fight against Voldemort. Especially now since Minister Bones came into power. But getting back to the reason why I couldn't get any of them to join:

One, they are extremely difficult to fool if I had someone in their working for us and two, they would not want to join because not only are they afraid of what their peers would do if they found out but they do not want to fight without their peers either," said Dumbledore.

Harry nodded, understanding. "So what are you doing to fight Voldemort? What are his next plans?"

Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair slightly, smiling, "I like how you are thinking, Harry, however what I will tell you will disappoint. We have no knowledge as of now as to what Voldemort is planning. All we know is something big is going to happen in the coming months. We have a few double agents but they know nothing and have a lower rank than Professor Snape, who has also heard of nothing as of late."

Harry's mind went into overdrive then. This wasn't working at all. Not only were Dumbledore's spies inefficient and uninformative, but their information wasn't good enough, especially since Voldemort was to be feared more than Dumbledore. Not only because Voldemort punished and killed violently, but mostly because Dumbledore did not.

Voldemort was going to win because everyone feared him and his methods. Dumbledore and the Ministry were too light, too sympathetic and easy on them. Especially since they just send them to Azkaban, where Voldemort can break out his followers again if need be. It was time the war finally became two-sided. So far, Voldemort has outmaneuvered, outnumbered, and defeated the forces of 'good'.

He was using pain, destruction, death, and most of all fear of those three things to win more and more followers. It was time that the fear he utilized be used against him. Harry grinned, he had a plan, but that would have to wait until the start of the school year. He first had to train and get stronger himself.

"Now, about that vile beast Umbridge. How could you let her take the run of the school? Why didn't you fight the Ministry?"

Dumbledore sighed deeply and rubbed his temples, "Because I could not bring myself to do that. If I did what you asked, then I would have started another war, this time with the Ministry. Not only would that have strained the Wizarding World, it would have also made the Ministry wrench Hogwarts from my hands completely - well, yes they did do something like that, but I was still here for the most part. However, I could not bring myself to divide the forces of the light, especially since so many people still look to the Ministry for guidance and support.

It would have been most unwise for me to battle the Ministry, though I really wished I could. As for Umbridge, I could not stop her without eliciting some kind of revenge from Fudge. He liked her a lot, you see, but now that he is gone I doubt that will ever happen. Minister Bones is very intelligent, capable, and also a friend. She is also part of the Order, you see.." he trailed off.

"I understand.. it's just that, she did this to me!" with that he raised his right hand and showed the scars of the blood quill.

Harry had never really seen Dumbledore in anger, but he caught a glimpse of it in the old man's eyes when he saw the scars. Harry felt the pressure of his magic as it burst forth, invisibly, from the headmaster, but then it disappeared and Dumbledore controlled himself.

"Forgive me for that magical outburst... I... I have no words to say but this, I am sorry for what she did. I did not know-"

Harry waved it off, "It's okay, I understand completely. Though I do think you could have at least tried to stop her some how.."

Then, an idea lit up in his mind, and he smiled inwardly. He could use Dumbledore's knowledge to find out what the Council of Light was and all the other things from his dream. Though it would be best not to tell Dumbledore of his dream first.

"Professor, do you happen to know anything about the Council of Light or have any books that could point to it?" asked Harry, startling the old wizard.

He thought for a moment before standing and gliding over to a bookcase next to a table full of what seemed like more junk. A painting of a former headmaster said something about dragons while another began arguing with its neighbours. Harry noticed, for the first time, that Fawkes wasn't to be found. Before he could ask, however, Dumbledore placed a thick and dusty tome into his hands.

"Now, might I ask where you learned of it?" the old wizard wondered, his eyes twinkling.

Harry thought quickly, "Well, uhh.. sir, I heard someone mention it before..." he replied vaguely.

"Do you know who this someone is?"

"Ehh... well, I think it was Sirius or Professor Lupin... I'm not entirely sure anymore..." he pretended to think hard.

Dumbledore nodded, "Well, from what I know of them, they are long since extinct. That tome has probably ninety-percent of all the information on them in the entire world. I wrote it myself. Mind you, it took quite a while to write it, especially since I had to trek halfway across the world to gather the information!" he exclaimed, though he had a happy gleam in his eye as he thought back to those days.

He quickly returned to his relatively sad and serious state though and turned to Harry, "Knowledge is a good thing to have, Harry. But remember, some things are best left unknown and some things are more important to know than others. Are you sure you wish to know about a long dead group?"

Harry nodded, "Just for entertainment, of course, and bettering my knowledge..." Harry quickly offered.

Dumbledore eyed him for a few seconds, before nodding, "Very well. Is there anything else I can offer you?"

"May I stay in the castle until I have given you my answer?" he asked, hopefully.

Dumbledore nodded without a pause, smiling, "The library, of course, will be open to you. I suggest you practice your magic while you think of my offer. Of course, this offer extends to anyone in the Order. All you must do is ask and I shall make the arrangements," he replied just as quick.

"Even the Restricted Section?"

This time, Dumbledore thought for a while, before he gave his nod of consent. "However, Harry, I must warn you once more. Some things are best left unknown."

Harry nodded, unbelievably elated that he could have full access to the library, yet also strange since he never liked reading before. It was as if he craved for it now, like he needed to be filled with information and knowledge. He had the urge to know and be knowledgeable about many things. Maybe that was how Hermione felt like.

_'Well, if Hermione saw me now, she would be shocked..._' he thought amusedly.

Just then, Fawkes appeared in a burst of flames. He trilled happily and circled around the room before landing on Harry's right arm. A single tear slid down from his eyes and landed on the back of Harry's hand, effectively making the scars disappear.

Harry looked into Fawkes' eyes as the phoenix trilled softly. It tapped its beak to his forehead before taking flight and going out the window, starting up a peaceful and calming song.

"Will that be all for now, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, smiling.

"Yes, sir. For now."

"Then I suggest you start reviewing and training on your own for now. Idle time is wasted time, especially since we have not much time as things are. I shall be seeing you at dinner then, at the Great Hall, at eight o'clock sharp. It is currently one o'clock in the afternoon, leaving you with seven hours to do as you please. I suggest you be productive during this time and use your time wisely, Harry. You never know when it might save your life.." he dismissed Harry politely.

Harry nodded, stood up, and left quickly, the thick tome tucked under his arm.

However, as he stepped out the door, he turned, "Professor, do you happen to know any spells to help you read faster and to sort your mind for an information explosion?" Harry asked with a little enthusiasm.

Dumbledore smiled, "I do, in fact..."

* * *

_Five hours later, Hogwarts Library..._

Harry had gone through all five years of school books and a few extra books on simple hexes, jinxes, and spells. His mind was buzzing with information, but he would have to apparently wait until he could be trained in Occlumency before he could sort it all properly. So far, he was doing pretty well in organizing it himself, but at the rate he was going, he would need Occlumency very soon.

This pressured him to accept Dumbledore's offer to train him, but he still wasn't sure if the old man was playing with him or truly sincere. So far, he had been truthful, but he wasn't sure how long this new Dumbledore was going to last or if it was permanent.

Harry then decided to go for a jog. He hadn't run in a long time and his muscles ached and groaned while his body hurt after only thirty minutes of jogging. He hadn't even made it all around Hogwarts yet, though he decided that it was because it was pretty hilly on one side that he ran past. He then decided that he should run in the Quidditch pitch next time.

An hour and a shower later, he went down to the Great Hall for dinner. The large doors were wide open and so he strolled right in, expecting only Dumbledore there, but he was surprised when he saw Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape, and Sprout along with a very quiet werewolf.

"Harry! You're right on time. Dinner should be served in a few minutes," Dumbledore greeted with a beaming smile.

Harry nodded to him and greeted them all. Remus turned sharply at the mention of his name and he was now rubbing his neck. Snape apparently had the same reaction as he too was rubbing his neck quite hard.

"What are you doing here, Harry? Are you-... are you okay? I mean, if you-" Remus began, but Harry silenced him by raising his hand.

"Professor Lupin, it's alright. Really, I feel okay. Actually, I feel better and stronger than I have in years," he replied.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at this while everyone else looked at him curiously, even Snape!

"Harry, do call me Remus. I'm no longer your Professor, you know," he said.

Harry nodded, "I'll keep that in mind, Prof- Remus."

"Well, Mr.Potter, I am sure you will keep out of mischief while you are here? We staff need a break too, you know," McGonagall said, smiling as she shifted the subject.

Harry nodded with a slight grin, "Well, since you gave me the idea..."

"Mr. Potter, as long as you do not disrupt our rest, I won't have to show you the reason why I was Dueling Champion for six years straight," squeaked Flitwick, who sat on a few thick books.

Snape just glared at him while Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout chuckled. Dumbledore just made his eyes twinkle in his strange way and Remus grinned.

Harry just looked in stunned awe at the little professor, who, until then, he thought wasn't all too exceptional with magic.

"Well, I do believe that dinner should be served right about... now," Dumbledore said.

With that, food appeared on the table and they 'dug in'.

* * *

_Somewhere in Germany..._

Voldemort cackled madly, making those that were with him shiver involuntarily with fear. They eyed him warily as he scoured the mountainside with his slit eyes. Red pupils studied the face of the mountain, searching for something.

A large snake slithered out of the brush and approached Voldemort, who hissed in Parseltongue at it. He began talking to it with in increasing anxiety and excitement.

He cackled again and began to move forward towards some unknown destination on the mountain.

"Soon I will be stronger than I ever was," he whispered to himself.

* * *

_Auror Safe House 23, Somewhere in Wales, England..._

Second-degree Auror Frank Herman yawned as he patrolled the perimeter of the safe house. He waved at his partner, Jeremy Steinholt, who had been with him since Auror Training Camp. They both liked Puddlemere United, played Quidditch with friends on weekends, went to the Golden Flask every now and then for a beer, and both also had a wife and two kids.

Frank's stomach grumbled at him hungrily as he strolled around the perimeter wall. Sighing, he reminded himself of how much he hated safe house duty. It was because nothing happened and it was mostly boring work. Voldemort hadn't hit any safe houses since Fudge and even then it was the only safe house he had hit. Other than that, Death Eaters hadn't been spotted anywhere near any safe houses.

As Frank approached Jeremy, they both smiled at each other.

"Hey Jeremy, whaddya think 'bout them Tornados? I reckon tha' Puddlemere's gonna take a win on 'em this Sate'day," said Frank, who relaxed a little next to his partner.

"Well, the Tornados are pretty good this year, Frank. They have a good chance of winning against Puddlemere, they do. Especially since Wadcock is out because of them damn Falmouth Falcons," he replied, spitting into the ground.

"Aye, she took a beatin' tha' game. They won it though."

"Yeah, but you see, without Wadcock, we'll be hard-pressed to rack some points up while our seeker tries to find the snitch. Add to that the fact that the Tornado seeker, Bennerly Hawkins, is pretty good!"

Frank grumbled at that. He didn't want to be reminded of how good the Tornados were this year. He especially did not want to be reminded of how Wadcock, Puddlemere's highest scoring and most popular Chaser, was injured. She was actually number two in the entire league in total number of points and she was a major asset in the game, specifically because she scored so much that even if the other team got the snitch it was still a win.

"Well, in any case, I-" but Frank didn't get to finish his sentence as an explosion shook the safe house. Before he knew it, the wards had fallen and Death Eaters were hurling spells at him. He quickly cast his shield charms and started firing back when he noticed that Jeremy hadn't even done anything.

He turned to check on his partner and wished he hadn't. Jeremy was pointing his wand at Frank, tears streaming down his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Frank. They got my family, you see, and I... I'm just sorry," he cried.

"No... no! Please, Jer-"

"Avada Kedavra!"

* * *

_Somewhere in England..._

Lucius Malfoy couldn't help but smile as a very much beaten and bruised Severus Snape was brought out of the room. He had taken the liberty of punishing the potions master himself. Oh how he enjoyed that little piece of entertainment!

He sighed, reveling in his newfound power. Though it didn't last as he thought of how much of the Dark Lord's plan the man had uncovered and told that old fool, Dumbledore. He just hoped it wasn't too late else he suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord. He, after all, had to keep his master's little world trip a secret for as long as possible.

A Death Eater came into the room and bowed to him, signifying his new rank and power. He was, as of that moment, Voldemort's top lietuenant. Who else would be assigned to such a task as commanding the forces of the Dark Lord in Britain?

"Sir, Snape has been transported to one of our outposts. Security has been lessened there, as you requested," he spoke with a little fear.

Lucius nodded, "Good. The old fool will surely come after him somehow. I am certain he has a way of telling that old man."

He had a little plan in store for when they try to rescue the greasy potions master.

"Report on recruitment?" he asked.

"Sir, I've word that eighty more have joined the cause and we are training them properly as we speak. I am sure that they will prove most useful for what you have in store, sir," he reported.

Lucius smiled and nodded, this was all good news. Good news that he would forward to the Dark Lord. Surely he would then be rewarded handsomely once he brings England to its knees and sets up the killing blow for his master.

"Very well. This is good news and I am sure the Dark Lord will be pleased with our progress. However, this is not enough and so I have a little plan that we can execute..."

* * *

_Two days later, Hogwarts..._

Harry finished reading a useless but interesting Transfigurations book, which he then placed in the rather large pile before him. Why would he want to know how to transfigure things into cooking items? He needed theories on Transfiguration and also how it worked so he could do his own freestyle transfiguring, which meant transfiguring one thing into almost anything.

He counted the books in front of him and saw he had read at least thirty already, though only half of them were really useful for his purposes. Who would write a book titled _To Beat the Dark _and spend all that time just talking about lighting spells!

Well, now he could light up the entire Quidditch Pitch or Hogwarts itself at night if need be and it may have some strange uses in the future. Harry filed that away in his mind for further research. However, time was slowly straining on him as he still contemplated on whether or not to accept Dumbledore's offer.

True enough, he was arguably the most powerful 'light' wizard and was feared by Voldemort, however his conduct so far and his intentions were really bad. If it were not for the fact that he apologized he would not have even considered considering it.

He wondered if he should ask Remus about it and after a little debate with himself, he decided that he should. Though in his mind he was leaning towards accepting the offer. The pros just outweighed the cons in accepting apprenticeship, or at least he thought so.

Standing up, he walked over to one of the farther shelves and pulled out a few dusty tomes and books that caught his eye. Some of their titles looked promising:

_Dueling for Destruction _by Herbert Showelgroven

_Offensive Spells and How to Use Them_ by Auror Mandelwood

_Charm Your Way to Victory_ by Ronald Vinewand

_Transfiguration: A Valuable Weapon_ by Amanda Amhard

_Battling the Dark Arts_ by Auror Shakeridge

There were a few other books with somewhat similar titles and Harry got them all, intending to read them until his eyes could stay open no more. He was thankful that he could do magic in the castle since the Ministry could not pick up his wand's magical signal through all the layers of ancient wards and shields plus Dumbledore's own.

He levitated all the books to the table he had, which nearly fell from the weight. He then decided to try out a little transfiguration, though it wasn't really excatly transfiguration.

With a wave of his wand and an incantation, he made the table bigger and stronger. He then opened the first book and began reading.

Three hours later, he had just finished reading the most interesting Charms book by Ronald Vinewand when he suddenly had the idea of finding every book on Occlumency and Leiglimency in the library. A ten minute search provided only two books that mentioned it, three books that spoke of eyewitness accounts of it, and one book that said it was only for strong wizards.

Sighing, he continued reading his earlier stack of books, intending to ask Dumbledore for any books he might have later on.

It was only an hour later when Harry finished the three other books he had not read. He yawned and stretched on the chair and then stood up, intending to go on his daily jog. He changed into a loose hand-me-down shirt from Dudley and a pair of matching shorts, which he both shrunk and fit magically.

"I need new clothes," he muttered to himself as he walked over to the door of the dormitories.

"I'm afraid you do," replied the mirror with distaste.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Great, even the mirror agrees. I really _do_ need to get new clothes now," he said to himself, wondering if he could do that the next day.

He ran for a while this time, his stamina and strength having built up over the short while he had begun. He was running around the Quidditch Pitch when he saw a familiar snowy-white owl fly through the air and circle around him. Stopping, he smiled while panting as he greeted his owl.

"Hed.. -pant- ..wig! -pant- So good.. -pant- ..to see you! How.. -pant ..are you.. -pant- ... girl?" he said as the owl landed on his outstretched arm, gripping his arm with her rather sharp claws a little too tightly. Harry winced but saw that no blood was drawn so he didn't mention it.

Hedwig hooted a few times and blinked her yellow eyes at him accusingly. "No! I.. -pant- .. haven't been -pant- avoiding you!" he said.

He had sent her to be taken care of by Remus at Grimmauld Place as soon as he had gotten to the Dursley's. Though she protested, he was adamant about it, and so she had gone.

She hooted a little angrily in reply, but her anger was slowly dissapating.

He smiled and talked with her a little more before she flew off and he continued running.

* * *

Harry's mind was racing and his heart was beating as he approached the stone gargoyle. He wondered if he truly should do this. Remus had told him it was a good idea and that, though he made a lot of mistakes, Dumbledore really was on the side of the light and really did care for Harry. 

"Doesn't mean I should trust him with my well-being though, especially after everything he's done..." he muttered to himself, though he knew he was being ignorant. What better way to prepare himself for the war than by training under the great Albus Dumbledore himself?

He just hoped, for the old man's sake, that Dumbledore wouldn't revert to his old ways anytime soon, or at all for that matter.

The gargoyle came to life as he stopped before it and then it bowed to him, which was strange since he hadn't seen it do that of all the times he had been there. The spiral staircase leading up to the Headmaster's office rose up from the ground as the gargoyle sprung aside.

He ascended the stairs and stopped hesitantly in front of the large highly polished oak door and made to knock when he heard the familiar voice of the old headmaster from behind it.

"Come in, Harry. The door is open," said Dumbledore.

Harry grabbed the handle, which was carved into the form of a griffin, and turned the handle. He strode the length of the office and then sat down on one of the comfy chairs, though again he seemed a little uncomfortable.

Dumbledore was reading a few papers on his desk and so Harry decided to wait until he had his attention. He looked about the room and spotted Fawkes, who trilled happily upon seeing Harry looking at him.

"Hey, Fawkes. How are you?" he greeted the phoenix.

It trilled again, happily, before it turned its head and closed its eyes, presumably to go to sleep.

Harry then noticed that Dumbledore had already finished what he was doing and was looking intently at Harry, as if studying him actually. Harry squirmed slightly in his seat, a little unsettled by that, but he remained rooted in place. It had to be done, after all. There really was no other way to be trained properly.

"Well, Harry, I wonder who gave you my password. Then again, I suppose you are full of mysteries," said the old headmaster with a smile, "Now, what is it you wish to speak with me with?"

Harry cleared his throat, "Well, headmaster sir, after much thought I have... I have come to a decision."

Dumbledore leaned forward in anticipation of the answer, his eyes betraying nothing.

"I have decided to... accept, sir. I have little trust or faith in you, but there is no other way for me to be ready for Voldemort unless I train under you. Yes, I could train with other wizards, but you are the only other who fought a Dark Lord and so you would be the best candidate for the job. Not only that, but you are also... well, supposedly on the side of the light," said Harry.

Dumbledore nodded, a slight grin on his face, "I thought you would give those reasons, and I uphold my offer. Now, repeat these words to me: _I, Harry James Potter, do hereby request that Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore become my mentor and train me until he see's fit_."

Harry hesitated, but then repeated the words slowly and then more surely after the first few words. Dumbledore nodded, "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, do hereby accept Harry James Potter into my apprenticeship and will train you until I deem you as trained and as strong as I can make you," he replied, completing the little ritual.

However, what happened next surprised both of them. A white light emenated from both of their heads and then in a bright flash both lights connected through a beam of bright white light. They both were filled with static electricity and energy and then with a loud bang, they were both knocked out.

* * *

_Hospital Wing, a few hours later..._

Harry stirred and groaned. His head hurt quite considerably and he hoped that nothing bad had happened. He wished he knew Occlumency so he could check his mind if any damage occured.

_'Ah good, you are awake. I apologize profusely, Harry. I had no knowledge of that happening ever since the times of Gryffindor and even before that!'_ said a voice in his head. A voice that sounded very much like Dumbledore's.

_'Professor?'_ he asked, confused.

_'Yes. It appears that we now have some sort of mind link in that we can speak to each other mentally without focusing or utilizing legilimency. A side effect of our mentor-apprentice bond...'_ he explained.

_'Oh great... now I have you in my head forever?!'_ he groaned, not liking this one bit.

_'No, I am very much sure that once you are trained in Occlumency you can block me, though we will still have some connection even if you try to. I cannot read your mind, I assure you, except of course if you lay down your guard, but right now they are still very strong. I wondered when you learned to strengthen your mind so...'_ replied Dumbledore in a curious tone.

_'Well, at least I can block you with Occlumency. Which makes me want to start training in that as soon as possible,'_ he said - well, thought to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing and smiled feebly at Harry, though he was indeed apologetic. Even in his eyes, though he also seemed relieved about something.

"Mr. Potter, still fond of this place I see. Well, you're perfectly stable. You are here only because we were afraid you might slip back into a coma," said Madam Pomfrey, who gave him another once over with a few spells before releasing him.

"Harry, if you wish, we can begin Occlumency now," said Dumbledore, "Though I suggest you read a few books first before I begin teaching you. It would prove most valuable to do so," he suggested.

Harry shrugged, "Alright, I'll go read up on it." But then he stopped, "Oh, right. I did try to read up on it, but it wasn't in the Library, sir. Do you happen to-"

"Yes, yes. Forgive me, Harry. Oh, and do please call me Albus. We are closer now than you might think, especially after the strange happening with the bond oath," replied Dumbledore.

Harry grimaced, "Don't remind me about that. I'm not really liking the mental connection part of it..."

"My apologies, Harry. Well, you should start reading up on Occlumency then, but let me get you some books for it. By the way, since you are now my apprentice, you can have full access to my private library. There are more books there than I am fully aware of and you need it more than I do, really."

Harry looked at the old headmaster with surprise, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I know you would not use it for ill, Harry, though I will check on your reading every now and then, of course."

"Of course, sir,"

"Remember to call me Albus, Harry."

Harry nodded, though it would be a while before he started doing that. They stopped walking and Harry recognized that they were in front of the Room of Requirement.

Dumbledore paced a few times and then the door appeared. Grinning like a kid who just received his biggest Christmas wish, he opened the door and walked inside, quickly followed by a curious Harry.

They entered a moderately-sized room with a few bookcases, a couch, a fireplace, and a desk with chairs. Stacks of blank parchment and a few quills and ink bottles were on the middle of the desk.

There were labeled doors all around the room. The one they just entered from was labeled **Exit**. The other rooms were:

**Gym**

**Dueling Hall**

**Laboratory**

**Training Hall**

**Testing Hall**

**Challenge Hall**

**Lavatory**

Harry grinned at the last one. You always need a good lavatory within reach. He then looked questioningly at Dumbledore, who just twinkled his eyes.

"Well, this is where your training shall take place. I have commanded the room to always appear this way when we approach it so if you want to do something without me you can. However, I recommend that you not tell anyone else right now. Secrecy will help us in this war more than you may think," said Dumbledore.

"Now, let me explain the rooms. First is the Gym, of course. This is where you can lift weights and do your exercises. I am also going to require that you learn some martial arts since they will help you with your overall level of fitness and also give you an edge in close quarters. Second, the Dueling Hall is where, of course, you can practice fighting. I shall explain the functions of the room in further detail after this.

Third, the Laboratory. Here you will find numerous ingredients for any potions you may wish to create as well as quite a number of tomes on potions. You might also be interested to know that you may do some Alchemy in the Laboratory as well, though I suggest that you wait until you read much on it or at least let me teach you some things on it.

Fourth, the Training Hall is where I will be training you on anything, be it Transfiguration, Charms, Dueling, Spellcasting, Warding, Occlumency and Legilimency, and any other things we need to study and train you for.

Fifth, the Testing Hall. This is where I shall test you on what you have learned and anything we've done so that I know you are keeping up well. There will be little writing and more practical, of course," said Dumbledore, seeing the grimace that passed on Harry's face.

"Sixth, the Challenge Hall. I assure you we will not go into this until you are ready, but let me just say that this is where you can truly test yourself, not only in your skill with a wand but your overall person. You will need your wits, your magic, your power, and any other abilities and qualities you possess to pass the Challenge Hall's challenges," Dumbledore smiled at that, "and last but not the least, is of course, the needed lavatory. I do not want you to go outside while we are training, since we will be training for a few days at a time."

Harry soaked in all the information relatively well, even without the help of Occlumency, though he could feel the strain. He really needed to start on that right away.

"Any questions?" asked Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling merrily.

Harry grinned, "When do we start?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Please review, as always. 

Thanks to all those that have reviewed. It keeps me writing. :) The next chapter will have more on Harry's growing powers and abilities. His friends will come into the story soon enough, so do not worry. Any suggestions and comments are, as usual, welcome.


	4. Rescue: Part I

**Note: **Thanks for the reviews guys, I really appreciate the support. Again, if you would like to suggest something or comment on anything, just put it into your review.

**Veteran**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the HP world, only some things that I created out of my own imagination and the plot of this story. Otherwise, everything else is Rowling's... the lucky witch!**

* * *

**War of Titans**

**_Rescue: Pt.I_**

* * *

_Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Division I, Ministry of Magic, three days later..._

"Damnit!" cried a frustrated Auror Lieutenant Andrew Collins.

He crumpled up the piece of parchment that he was reading in frustration and anger. They were no nearer to finding out any Death Eater locations than they were before. Any suspected Death Eater locations had been hit right after the attack on Safe House 23, but it was to no avail. There were no Death Eaters found, though there were signs that they used to be there.

He took hold of a glowing blue ball on his desk, which glowed brighter for a brief moment.

"Vanessa, would you please call in Senior Aurors Harper, Kim, Parker, and Shaklebolt," he spoke to the ball.

"Right away, sir," said a female voice that came from the ball.

A quick flick of his wand and a few files flew out of a filing cabinet next to the Lieutenant. He flipped through a few of the papers as he waited for them.

Soon enough, a knock came from his door and Vanessa poked her head in, showing her curly light-brown hair and chocolate eyes. She was quite attractive, which was one of the reasons Collins hired her, "They are here now, Lietuenant."

"Very well, send them in. Thank you Vanessa."

She nodded and opened the door as four senior Aurors stepped into the room.

Auror Lietuenant Andrew Collins was tall, towering at six feet nine inches. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes with a thin scar running from above his left eye to his chin. It was from some battle against the Death Eaters long ago, when he was still a Junior Auror.

"I've called you here today because you are, as of now, to be the leaders of a special taskforce dealing with the offensive against the Death Eaters. For far too long we've been on the defensive and so now, I am assigning the four of you to head the new Special Auror Task Force. Senior Auror Harper will be in overall command of that outfit," he told them, pausing as they soaked in the information with shocked faces.

"I want results, people. Nothing but results. Too long have we Aurors been on the receiving end of attacks. It's high time we start making some on our own. I would like to be informed of any major raids or attacks. Other than that, you will have free reign for now. The Minister has already greenlighted this project and so we have full approval. This Task Force will remain secret until further notice, so please tighten security especially with your outfit," he paused.

"I am, for now, assigning thirty Aurors to the Special Auror Task Force. We can't afford to put any more unless we want to tell everyone about it. However, there is one thing I think you might like. The Minister has made available the services of ten Hitwizards, who already have their own task force and will be collaborating with our own," he finished, shocking them some more.

"Any questions? No? Good. Now get to work!" he dismissed them, turning back to the files he was reading.

None of them spoke, to surprised to say anything, and so they filed out of the Lieutenant's office with stunned faces. Things were really changing and they felt it was for the better.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at Hogwarts..._

Harry gripped his wand as he faced his first ever test in the Testing Hall. Dumbledore was on the bleachers to the side of the long hall while Harry stood in the middle, on a raised platform.

"Now, your first test will simply test your fighting skills. We've gone over all the spells that you've been taught and I want you to use only those spells taught to you. Remember, overcharging simple spells may prove more damaging than normally charged complex spells, plus they may use the same amount of power," he told Harry, who nodded, "Now, you shall be facing an artificial opponent. Try to disarm it first, but after this test, we will be aiming to disarm and incapacitate using any means necessary."

Harry nodded again. He just wanted to get it over with. Nervousness crept through every fiber of his being, though his anxiety was also very strong. He hoped he would do well.

Dumbledore threw a stone onto the platform and waved his wand a few times while pointing at it. A few spells later and the rock turned into a stone adversary, with a blank face but a body about six feet in height, only two inches taller than Harry.

He had a wooden stick as a wand. Harry decided to ask Dumbledore to teach him that since it could prove useful.

Before Harry knew it, he had ducked and rolled off to his left, his seeker reflexes kicking in fast. Two stunners had already whizzed past and sizzled against the barrier charm that Dumbledore constructed around the platform.

The two opponents traded spells, one after the other, as they hastily conjured shields or dodged each other's attacks, all the while looking for an opening or a weakness.

"Protego!" Harry shouted, pouring a lot of energy into the shield and making it glow brightly before him. He let an exploding hex slam into the shield and quickly retaliated with a few stunning and disarming spells.

The rock opponent twisted to avoid the spells but Harry had also sent a tripping jinx along with the mess, making his opponent fall flat on his face.

With a triumphant cry, he shouted, "Expelliarmus!" intending to end the match right then and there.

However, his spell never connected as a shield was suddenly erected out of nowhere and his opponent started firing off numerous spells at the same time that his opponent jumped up. Surprised, Harry quickly tried to evade most of them, though letting a few hit his shield.

"Diffindo! Confundo! Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Expelliarmus!"

Spells were exchanged some more as both tried to wear down the defenses of the other.

"Damnit," Harry hissed as he was thrown back by a rather powerful stunning spell that blew through his shield. He was saved by his shield however, since it took the brunt of the hit and so Harry wasn't stunned.

Another shield later he was back on his feet. He tried to overwhelm his opponent with multitudes of spells and though he knew it drained him faster, it was the only way he could beat it with these simple spells.

A disarming spell flew past his ear and Harry had no time to register it as three consecutive spells headed towards him. In an instant, he had turned to one side and then launched himself at the feet of his enemy, who stumbled back in surprise.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried and his opponent was thrown back and shattered into tiny fragments while the wand flew into his other hand.

Dumbledore started to clap as he took down the barrier charm.

"Well done, Harry. Effective use of your physical fitness in battle. This will prove more useful to you than you may think," Dumbledore said approvingly.

Harry grinned. He didn't feel all that tired, but he did feel his magic drained a little.

"So, what's next?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment, "Have you begun reading on Occlumency?"

"Yes, I've read through almost all the books you've given me. It's working pretty well, really. I just need someone to test my defenses now," replied the young wizard.

"Excellent. We shall try that later on then. But for now, I suggest we begin with what I am most proficient at. Transfiguration..."

* * *

Harry did not know how long they were inside the Training Hall, but when he stumbled out of it he was really tired. Transfiguration with Dumbledore was harder than McGonagall ever had been. Especially since they had gone by relatively quickly because Harry grasped Transfiguration very well. 

It was only when they got to the higher level transfigurations that Harry really had to concentrate and focus his magic. He still could not transfigure anything made of stone and some transfigurations seemed out there for him, specifically because stone or earthen materials like stone were the hardest to transfigure of all things. However, the one thing that drovc him to succeed was that Dumbledore told if he mastered Transfigurations, then they would go in to Conjuring.

Harry quickly went into the Laboratory and drank a pepper-up potion to replenish some of his energy. He emptied the vial quickly before replacing it in the cabinet. He then eyed the table on which stood a moderately-sized cauldron and multiple vials, tubes, clamps, and cutting utensils as well as measuring materials.

_'Professor, what are we doing now?'_ he asked through his mental link.

Through his studying of Occlumency, he had built strong defenses around his mind, building upon what was already there to begin with. He was surprised that his mind had created its own defenses, but it was crude and rough and had some cracks in it. He had fixed that though and he was confident he could withstand Dumbledore and even Voldemort if need be.

He had then prodded the mental link he had with Dumbledore and discovered that Dumbledore could, if Harry let him, feel his emotions and read his thoughts. Of course, Harry didn't want that, and so he shut off those parts of the link. But he kept the mindspeech link in case anything were to happen so he could communicate with Dumbledore.

_'Well, I suggest you rest for now or continue on your reading. I have some business to finish and I will return there shortly,'_ replied Dumbledore.

Harry sent him a quick okay before deciding to brush up on his potions. He scanned the shelves and picked out a few books he found interesting and began reading on how to brew the potions contained within the pages of the books.

* * *

_Granger Residence..._

Hermione chewed on the end of her quill as she debated what to write her two best friends about. She especially wanted to write something good for Harry because of what happened. He was probably blaming himself for everything that happened and he hoped he was alright.

Concerned, she quickly wrote out an entire paragraph on the piece of parchment before her, before she stopped and then took what she wrote and crumpled it up. Too concerned and too emotional on that one. She needed to give him space and yet also tell him how much she cared. She knew if she crowded him and gave too much emotion into it he would distance himself even more.

"Oh, if only I could see you in person! Stupid Dumbledore!" she cried in frustration.

She had seen Harry's mental state the last time they were together and she knew it wasn't long before something bad happened. For all she knew, he could have already... no, that wasn't how she should think. She needed to be calm and think positive. Yes, think positive.

"Okay.." she whispered to herself, breathing deeply before resuming her writing.

Ten minutes later, she was satisfied with her letters and so tied them to the waiting owl. She had requested an owl through the Order member who stood outside her house.

The Order had taken to securing her home after a few hints that they might try to attack it. Dumbledore himself had come over to erect new wards and strengthen the old ones he had placed upon the home. Hopefully that would deter them enough to not attack, though he had not promised them it would.

The owl hooted as she finished tying the letters to the owl's outstretched leg and it hooted again before flapping its wings and taking off into the setting sun. _She_ had also included a letter to Dumbledore, asking if he could send her a few books that she had listed on the letter. If Harry was going to fight, she would fight beside him.

She knew something was up and that there was some strange connection between Voldemort and Harry. No one knew, but in her time at the library she had also researched on links and bonds, especially with the type concerning Harry and Voldemort since he gave Harry his scar. The scar itself was a symbol that there was some connection with him, add to that all the dreams he got from Voldemort and Harry does have some connection with Voldemort.

However, that was not the connection she was thinking of. She had a general idea that the prophecy included not only Voldemort but Harry as well, which was the only reason Voldemort would really go after it. Her mind quickly churning she decided that if Dumbledore did not give her the books she wanted, she would try to get them herself.

"Hermione!" her mother called from downstairs, knocking her out of her thoughts.

"Coming mum!"

* * *

_Hogwarts..._

It had been... well, how long had it been? Harry had engulfed himself in potions all throughout the time Dumbledore was gone. He triumphantly raised the large bottle of Strengthening Potion, which he had brewed along with a few rejuvenating potions, endurance potions, and a replacement batch for the pepper-up potions he made.

"Well, here goes nothing," he said to himself as he poured the potion into the amount specified by the book that one should take. Three-quarters of the large bottle of neon orange liquid remained and Harry knew just who to give it to.

He looked at the vial in his hand and then quickly up-ended it into his mouth.

Licking his lips, he grimaced, though it was not as bad as some of the potions that he made while in Snape's class. Not having the greasy potions master around seemed to give Harry calm and also much confidence in his potion-making abilities.

He read the book again to make sure what to expect from drinking the potion.

**_Effects of the Strengthening Potion_**

_The effects of the potion will not be felt for another hour after consumption. During this hour the potion will be mixing into your bloodstream and will fully integrate itself into your body... there will be much pain for your muscles will be magically strengthened... lasts only thirty minutes... make sure not to eat or drink during this period... ligaments, bones, and muscles will be strengthened... expect to see an increase in strength two hours after consumption... the amount of increase in strength depends on overall power of user and the quality of the potion..._

Harry reread the passage and then nodded silently. There was going to be a lot of pain and he couldn't take any pain relieving potions to alleviate it since it would disrupt the strengthening potion. He just hoped he was ready for it.

Suddenly, he sensed shock, fear, and cold fury through his link with Dumbledore and he was instantly curious.

_'Professor, what has happened?'_ he asked.

There was a pause before the voice of his mentor came through, _'Severus has been discovered as our spy. He is asking for help now and is being kept prisoner. We do not know yet where he is, but we will shortly...' _his voice was stiff.

_'Is there anything I can do?'_ Harry asked. Well, he knew that he could do nothing really, but he asked anyway.

_'No, Harry. I just ask that you not think about it and study on your own for now. You should also train more while I am away. I will keep the mindlink open, but try not to disturb me anytime soon.' _came the reply.

Harry sent a quick affirmative before grabbing a few books on strengthening one's magic and transfigurations. He plopped onto the couch in front of the fireplace and placed the stack of books on the floor in front of him.

He lay down and took the top book, flipping to the first page. He wouldn't disturb Dumbledore anytime soon even if he wanted to, anyway, since he was going to be in a lot of pain. He carefully checked his shields and defenses around his mind, making sure they were strong and stable so that his pain would not seep over the link and disturb Dumbledore.

_There are many ways to strengthen one's magical power. There is training, which is the most common form where one teaches another or where one learns and practices magic on their own. Then there are rituals, which some consider to be very dark. There is also just doing the same spells over and over again, which not only makes the spells very familiar to the caster but also strengthens the magical core of the caster through repetitive draining..._

_

* * *

_

_Special Auror Task Force Headquarters, somewhere in England..._

Kingsley Shaklebolt was not only tall, towering at six feet eight inches, but he was bald and black. He was the first black auror in the Ministry, which had accepted him when Moody insisted. This was, of course, when Moody was still a very senior Auror and very respected.

Kingsley had shown that wizards of other skin color also had the ability to be very strong, since most of wizarding Britain was white. In comparison, Kingsley did not have many connections in his earlier days. His only reason for rising in the ranks being his significant magical skills as well as his intelligence and cunning.

He was also very friendly and amusing to those he knew, but not often did he try to amuse others. He was very serious most of the time and found that actions meant more to him than words.

"Alright, this is our first full meeting. We have thirty aurors in the SATF and the full support of the Ministry as well as ten Hitaurors provided to us, coupled with the cooperation of the Hitwizard department itself," began Senior Auror Harper, who was tasked to lead the SATF.

He was cool under pressure and intelligent enough. He was loyal to his fellow aurors and was actually more aggressive than most auror leaders would have been.

"Our first task is to uncover any information regarding the location of Death Eater hideouts. We need to have an entire database set up and since we have the support and cooperation of the Ministry, we can pull a few strings to help us. I want, and the Lieutenant wants, results, and we best get them," he continued on with his speech as Kingsley suddenly felt the call of the Order through his enchanted golden earring on his left ear.

The earring was enchanted to glow warmly if the Order wished to call him in and also had some basic protective spells on it to help block any attacks if he were caught off guard.

Twenty minutes later, they were all scrambling to begin their respective tasks. Kingsley took this chance to leave, giving some excuse about talking to his contacts to find out information. Harper was too busy to really notice and just waved him off as he began coordinating with the two other SATF leaders, both of whom were women: Rebecca Kim and Jennifer Parker.

"Oh, and Kingsley, I'll need any information you can get from your contacts and I'll fill you in when you return," said Harper.

Kingsley just nodded, already halfway out the door.

* * *

_Grimmauld Place, Order of the Phoenix Headquarters..._

The core of the Order was there, including a few outside the core. In total, there were forty-something of them in the room. Dumbledore didn't bother to count, knowing full well that they could take on whatever secured Snape.

"I have called this emergency meeting to inform you, for those of you who are not aware, that our spy and fellow Order member, Severus Snape, has been found out. We are not sure how, but we are certain that he is now locked up. We have a general sense of his location, but for the most part we'll be going in blind," he said, his eyes sweeping the room.

They all had determined faces, though he could sense some fear gripping them.

"I do not expect all of us to return, though I hope that we can do so. We will leave in ten minutes as I have sent someone to scout ahead and we shall wait for his report. In the meantime, I suggest you get ready and not leave the premises," he finished.

The talking began. It started from slow murmuring to fierce conversation until they were downright arguing. Dumbledore didn't notice as he thought of anything that Tom might have up his sleeve. He must know they would go after Severus, which was why he was even alive at that moment, but he wondered what Tom was planning.

Maybe it was a trap? But then he would know once Alastor returned. He was, after all, best suited for the job thanks to his magical eye and his intense intuition about such things as traps.

A slight crack reported from the hallway and in came Mad-Eye Moody, covered in leaves and dirt. He didn't seem to notice, though everyone else took a step back from him. He quickly strode up to Dumbledore, his wooden stump thudding onto the wooden floor and echoing across the now silent room.

"Alastor," Dumbledore greeted.

"Albus, I've scouted the place where he's at and I'm pretty sure of where they're keepin' him. They've got a buncha wards set about, but its nothing we can't handle. What I'm more worried about is the fact that there isn't much security 'round the place. I smell something's up, but it ain't anything I stepped on," he reported in his gruff voice.

Dumbledore nodded, "I thought so as well, Alastor. Do you think it might be a trap?"

Moody scrunched up his face, which was lined with scars from all his fights with the dark side, "Well, it's hard to tell really. I'm sure they would have some trap in place for us, but this feels different. It's almost as if they want us to focus on it and attack it... perhaps another attack elsewhere?"

Dumbledore nodded, "It's all possible, but alas, we have not much time. Severus was our only real source for information on Voldemort's plans, the others we have in place are very suspicious with their allegiance and I also suspect that they may be feeding us wrong information. Furthermore, I think it's more likely that they are setting a trap for us, which is why I have called so many of you in," he paused to look at the others gathered in the room.

"We must enter in loose formation, coming from all sides and angles. We cannot be bunched up in case of a trap. I will enter first, along with Remus and a few others. Alastor will lead a second team, Minerva a third, Flitwick a fourth team, and Nymphadora a fifth team," he quickly gave them instructions.

He quickly conjured long metal bars and made them into portkeys before handing them out. Soon, all six teams had one and were grabbing on to them. There were roughly eight of them a team and, in total, amounted to about fifty Order members.

"Once there, advance with caution and silence until the alarm is raised. I have sent a letter of alarm to the Ministry and I presume they will send in Aurors after they've read my letter. We must hurry, else Severus be mistaken for a Death Eater," he stopped speaking and then said, "Portkeying in five, four, three, two, one..."

* * *

_Somewhere in England..._

"What's the plan again? I'm hungry..." whined a fat Death Eater, who played with his wand with his fingers.

"Shut up, fool! I think I saw something..." hissed the other.

"But, I'm hungry... you got anything to eat? Please?"

"Silence!"

The fat Death Eater grumbled and then took something from out of his pocket. He soon began stuffing his face with what seemed like brownies.

The other Death Eater was relatively tall and thin. His eyes narrowed into slits and his face screwed up in concentration from behind his white mask.

"Hey, there's something out there... alert the others and make yourself useful, will you?" he said angrily.

"I think it's too late for that," said a different voice.

"What the-" the Death Eater began to say as he turned around in time to get hit by a powerful stunner that sent him back a few feet.

The Order member smiled and then ran off, steps light and silent on the grass.

The house, which looked really old, was made mostly of wood. It sat atop a hill and was surrounded by a small forest. A few pits were dug into the base of the hill and wards engulfed the area.

Dumbledore quickly scanned the wards, careful not to trip any alarms that may be situated in them. A few moments later, his lips tugged into a slight smile and then with a quick jabbing motion he collapsed the wards.

Shouts of, "They're here!" and "Sound the alarm!" echoed throughout the forest as the Death Eaters scrambled to get into position. A hail of spells exploded all around them as the Order members assaulted the hill.

"Quickly now! We haven't much time!" yelled Dumbledore in a commanding voice as he ran fast, not showing any signs of his age. He ducked and weaved as killing spells and bludgeoning spells whizzed at him. He immediately set up an anti-appparition ward and then with a few quick motions a foxhole with three Death Eaters exploded, killing all three.

Dumbledore sighed, it had to be done.

"Avada Kedavra!" a voice shouted triumphantly.

Dumbledore turned and saw the green light coming at him...

* * *

_Hogwarts..._

Harry yelled in agony. His entire body felt like it was churning in a vat of molten lava. His muscles felt as if they were being torn apart, tissue by tissue, and his bones seemed to explode outward into tiny shards. The only time he felt this much pain was under the Cruciatus curse, but he didn't even think about that as a new wave of pain assaulted his senses.

He used his occlumency to try and break through the pain or at least dull it, but it was to no avail. He was still not a master of occlumency and try as he might, the pain kept coming back, even stronger.

The pain soon became unbearable to the point that he flickered in and out of consciousness. His breathing was harsh, his skin was sweaty, and his vision blurred.

"Harry..." a voice echoed around him.

Pain ripped through his body once more and Harry returned to the darkness.

"Harry..." the voice echoed again, this time stronger.

He could smell fresh flowers. He could hear water trickling from a nearby brook. Birds were chirping and the sun shone brightly, warming his skin. A breeze picked up, ruffling his shirt and his hair.

He stood at the bottom of a hill, a grassy hill with many flowers. Atop the hill stood a woman who looked so very familiar and yet her name was unknown to him.

"Harry..." the voice echoed, and he knew it came from her.

He struggled to reach her, to walk up the hill, but his legs could not move. His body could not respond.

"Harry..." the voice called again, soothing and enticing.

"Come to me...fight it, Harry... fight the pain..." she said, whispering as if she were merely next to him, yet she seemed so far away.

The sun was setting and it bathed her in a heavenly glow, taking his breath away. She looked at him and called to him again. He willed himself to move, but then the pain returned. He fell to the ground, tears in his eyes. The grass around him suddenly died, turning black. The flowers wilted, the trees turned to ash, and the birds suddenly disappeared.

Everything was dying around him, yet the hill remained untouched. The sun shone upon it while the darkness consumed everything other than what was on the hill.

The green grass and the bright and colorful flowers called to him as much as the woman did. He got up to his knees and he willed himself with all his power to walk, to reach the safety of the hill.

Darkness closed all around yet he finally was able to shove one foot across the black dirt. Another foot moved forward, and he was closer to the hill.

"Harry... yes... come to me... ignore the pain... fight the pain... for there is no pain... come to me..." she called.

He felt lighter, better, as if he had just taken a pepper-up potion or a rejuvenating potion. His steps became stronger, his stride lengthened, and his spirits rose. Just as he was about to step onto the base of the hill, the pain returned and his legs turned to lead. His strength dissipated. He fell once more, a mere inch away from the safety of the hill.

The darkness was consuming him. It slowly crept up from his legs, engulfing his feet, his shins, his thighs. Harry tried to get up, to get away, but it was all for naught. He looked up for one more fleeting glance at the woman who stood atop the hill...

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hmmm... I'm being very bad, aren't I?


	5. Rescue: Part II

**Note: **I really appreciate any reviews. Comments and suggestions are welcome as well.

**Veteran**

**Disclaimer: By no means do I own HP at all and am not making money off of it, blah blah blah... you get the point. JK Rowling owns all of the Potterverse except what I added on and this plot.**

* * *

**War of Titans**

**_Rescue: Pt.II_**

* * *

_The Burrow, that same day..._

Ron shut the tattered book he was reading. Yes, Ronald Bilius Weasley was reading. It had started after the incident at the Department of Mysteries, when the brain-thing had latched itself onto him. A part of whatever it was had been left in him, making him thirst for knowledge. It made him thirst to study, to learn, to get to know things, and most of all it gave him a drive to excel and to do the best he could do.

He had, at first, cursed whatever it was and blamed Harry for everything, though he soon became ashamed of what he was doing. In the past few days he had learned many things, not only from books, but from himself. He had learned that what he was doing was wrong and that it not only hurted himself but his friends and family.

So he changed, or at least tried to. He began to read, to be more patient and less angry. He strove to take control of his emotions and think things through. Yes, think! The brain-thing had given him something that sparked his change and he began to thank it.

He quickly snatched another book and commenced reading, knowing that in the back of his mind it would help him help his best friend, Harry Potter. Looking back, he knew he had barely been much help to his best friend, nor had he been that good of a friend. True, he was still jealous of him, but he knew that he should not be.

It was always Hermione who helped him more, who supported him, and who lifted him up. Sure, he had done some of those things, but it was not enough to cover his status as Harry's best mate. So here he was, Ronald Bilius Weasley, one of the many children of Arthur and Molly Weasley, studying when he normally would be playing Quidditch.

Reading books when he would have normally been reading up on the latest Quidditch news or playing around with all the magical toys and games he possessed. He smiled as his mind drifted to think of what Harry and Hermione would think if they saw him studying and training himself.

Every day he ran, though he hated it at first, he found the running to be refreshing and most of all productive. Yes, he now strived to be productive. He would soon finish all his homework, though he had yet to start since he was still relearning everything that had been taught since first year.

His parents had gotten him a new wand, which he coveted since it worked so well with him. He also was able to practice magic because not only was the household full of magic and so it would not draw attention, but being a pureblood family, the grounds were warded so that even underage wizards could use magic without getting caught.

His parents had never told him, but from his reading of the Weasley ancestry book and his own research, he had found that out. It helped greatly with his studying and training and he knew that when they all met again, him, Harry, and Hermione, they would need to train together.

Ron wasn't sure how he knew, but he had a feeling that Harry was going to need him. Heck, Harry had needed him many times now, but he had always failed to help. He had always been slow to act. Well, not anymore. No longer would Ron be in the dark, frightened, as Hermione tried to help his first friend. His best mate.

No, he would come into his own and be at Harry's side through everything. He opened the book, shaking his head so that he could concentrate better, and began to read.

* * *

_Somewhere in England..._

"Sir, they have begun their rescue attempt. Your orders?" asked a Death Eater who had come in hurriedly.

"Leave them be, for now. I want you to give the signal to the teams, it is time," ordered Lucius, who quickly stood from the small throne he had made for himself.

The throne, was of course, beneath the Dark Lord's black obsidian throne, but it was still a throne nonetheless.

The Death Eater quickly bowed and left, his footsteps echoing loudly in the stone hall.

Five other Death Eaters stood to the side, carefully watching Lucius.

Crabbe, Goyle, Dolohov, Avery, and Rokwood.

"Well, gentlemen, it is the beginning of the end for the Ministry and for the Order. My plan has been set in motion and by the time our Lord has returned, the whole of Britain will be ready to bow down and serve him," he said, walking slowly towards them.

They said nothing, though he knew that none would dare say anything against that.

"Soon our victory will be complete and our Lord shall take us to rule the world. Petty Britain will stand no chance against the forces of the great Lord Voldemort," he said the name, causing the others to shiver slightly.

"When the Dark Lord returns, he will surely appreciate my efforts and reward me," he began, eyeing them from beneath his mask, "So I ask of you now to help me and in turn I shall put in a good word for all of you. Surely you do not want the Dark Lord to... know of certain things that would make him angry at you?" he said sweetly.

The five Death Eaters looked at each other and then nodded, "We shall do as you ask, Lucius. As long as the Dark Lord rewards us for our services as well," Rokwood replied.

Avery voiced the same and eventually they all did.

"Good. Now, we shall personally visit our dearest friend Severus and his little Order friends," Lucius spoke, his silver eyes gleaming as he smiled.

* * *

_A hill somewhere in England..._

Dumbledore's eyes widened as the green jet of light flew at him. Time seemed to stand still as Dumbledore tapped into the mental link he had with Harry.

_'I have failed you, Harry...'_ he said as he waited for the inevitable.

A figure suddenly blurred in front of him and the green curse smashed into that figure, making him fly into the old headmaster.

Stunned, Dumbledore lifted the limp body and looked to see who it was.

"Alastor..." he whispered as a cold anger rose within him.

The lifeless eyes of Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody looked up into the sky. His horrid face, lined with scars and his chipped nose, was serene and woke within Dumbledore a great pain, such pain he had never felt since the times of Grindelwald. The great pain of losing a good, loyal friend. A close friend who had lived and fought with him and now, had died for him.

Fury burned within his blue eyes, the twinkle normally within them long gone.

"NOOOOO!!!!!!!" he boomed as dark clouds appeared out of nowhere and lightning rent the sky asunder.

The ground trembled and all stopped to stare at the old wizard, who's eyes flared with such power that fear crept into all their hearts, even those on his side.

The power that he long ago promised never to unleash again upon the world had returned. The power that destroyed a Dark Lord all those years ago. The power that defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald.

* * *

_Mordred Prison, somewhere in the Atlantic..._

The prison was situated on a lone island, protected by heavy wards and spells to turn away muggles and to protect the island from attack. It was the fallback prison in case Azkaban was neutralized. On a barren piece of rock in the midst of a great, churning ocean, the island was impenetrable from attack.

Especially since it was guarded by fifty aurors. However, Fudge had stripped the garrison long ago and only thirty aurors remained because of the manpower drain in the mainland.

These thirty aurors shivered as a cold gale blew at them, the waves of the Atlantic crashing before the mighty walls of Mordred Prison. A deathly cold chill made them all stop in their tracks. A sudden fear gripped their hearts, for they knew what was coming.

"DEMENTORS! SOUND THE ALARM!" an auror cried as the dark forms of the Dementors appeared all around them rising up from the sea and coming down from the sky.

Screams of pain and of patronus spells filled the air, but it was too late.

Not many knew of the prison, but those that did feared it almost as much as Azkaban. However, it had become an international holding place as well, since foreign Ministries sent their convicts there to rot. However, when the war started, the foreign Ministries pulled their men from guarding Mordred and all that remained were the British forces.

The foreign Ministries made a big mistake, because the Death Eaters of the Dark Lord had just broken Mordred and out spilled hundreds of dark convicts and monsters, all of whom swore loyalty to the great Dark Lord Voldemort.

* * *

_Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic..._

"We have a code red, alpha level. I repeat, code red alpha level!" Lieutenant Collins yelled into the globe, which immediately turned a crimson red.

A loud wailing alarm sounded all across the Ministry as off-duty aurors were called in and any free hands were called as well. Security was beefed up in the Ministry as more aurors went off to secure other vital installations.

Lieutenant Collins was having a nightmare. Mordred Prison had been broken, all the garrison their had been lost. Thirty good aurors dead because they had not increased security. Now hundreds of dark wizards were on the loose. Azkaban had been hit as well, there were a few dozen survivors, but everything looked grim.

Eighteen Ministry safehouses were hit, only seven remained intact and survived the onslaught. Five muggle towns had been destroyed and ten thousand muggles lost their lives. The Auror training camp had been hit too, but that had been a suicidal mission for the Death Eaters. They had only penetrated the first line of defense, killing ten aurors, but all twenty Death Eaters had been killed.

He ran to the Minister's office as Hitwizards scanned him and checked his identity over and over through numerous checkpoints. The Ministry became impenetrable in a matter of minutes. One hundred Hitwizards, almost all of them in fact, had beefed up security as well as two hundred aurors.

Diagon Alley was shutdown and a guard of twenty aurors were set in place. Gringotts had locked down on its own, a contingent of fifty goblins guarding the entrance to the bank.

Numerous other wizarding homes had been hit, though some managed to escape or others fought back. The scene was grim as all of Britain came into shock. The Death Eaters had hit and they had hit hard.

He finally entered the Minister's Office, passing through the final checkpoint right in front of her door. Five Hitwizards eyed him with suspicion, as they should be if there was a code red alpha level alert out.

"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!? GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS!! WHAT IS THE DAMAGE?!? HOW MANY?! HOW MUCH?! WHERE?!?" yelled a very pissed off Minister Bones, her eyes ablaze.

There were others there, one of whom was Captain Bromley, who was the head of the Hitwizard department. His eyes were filled with a righteous anger and his body was stiff, but he said nothing. Collins saw he wanted to be out there, fighting to protect those he swore to protect, but the oath to the Ministry came first and foremost and so he had stayed.

"Minister, if you would please calm do-" one of her advisors tried to say, but she glared daggers at him.

"CALM DOWN!?? CALM DOWN!!??!? WHEN THE ENTIRE WIZARDING WORLD THAT WE GOVERN IS UNDER ATTACK?!? WHILE I SIT HERE, WITH THIS PROTECTION AND OTHERS OUT THER ARE DYING?!" she screamed.

The woman who suggested she calm down quickly became silent and bowed her head, wilting before her anger.

"COLLINS! DO _YOU_ HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS?" she suddenly glared at him and he shivered.

Shaking his head slightly, he spoke cautiously, "I'm getting numerous reports, Minister. They've hit us hard everywhere. I'm organizing a counter-attack now, but if most of our aurors are here, I can't do much... we've lost a considerable number of aurors during the attack..." he reported.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, breathing hard, "I want you to use _whatever _means necessary. I want you to hit back, Collins. Coordinate with the Hitwizards and any other Ministry assets. Send out security teams and help secure homes and villages. I want this nightmare to _end_! Do you understand?" she said, her voice hard.

He nodded, "Yes, Minister. I'm already on it,"

"Now go!" she yelled, dismissing them.

Collins eyed Bromley, who nodded at him, and he nodded in return. They both met and walked out the door, not saying a word yet. In the presence of their captain, the Hitwizards outside relaxed somewhat, though they still remained alert. A few minutes later, Collins and Bromley sat down with a few senior aurors and hitwizards.

"Alright, let's get all the facts straight first before we fight back.." Collins began the meeting, his face serious.

* * *

_Somewhere in England..._

Dumbledore stepped aside as a few dark spells flew past him, ruffling his robes. He batted away other spells as he calmly and frighteningly tore through the Death Eaters.

He never spoke, only flicking his wand this way and that. No matter what the Death Eaters threw at him he dodged, batted them away, or made them hit his amazingly powerful white shield.

Fawkes had come to the battle, lending tears to those Order members who were hurt while singing his song to strengthen the members of the Order.

The last Death Eater finally threw multiple killing spells at Dumbledore, who merely disappeared and reappeared behind the frightened Death Eater. A quick jab of the wand and the man was blown back more than fifty feet.

Fire engulfed the wooden house, which was ready to collapse. After the Death Eaters saw Dumbledore's rage, they knew they would not stand a chance any longer so they set fire to the house. However, they underestimated the time it would take for Dumbledore to take care of them.

Soon enough, the fire was extinguished with a few waves of Dumbledore's wand. A light rain had begun to fall as the dark clouds thundered and lightning flashed.

The Order members stayed a good distance away as Dumbledore tore through the house and the body of a very beaten and weak Severus Snape hovered in the air and went next to Dumbledore, who said something incoherent to the potions master.

Suddenly, Death Eaters sprang all around them, led by a determined Lucius Malfoy, and the fighting begun again.

Dumbledore looked at them, sadly and yet angrily, and then quickly summoned an Order member to bring Snape to Grimmauld Place and call on Madam Pomfrey.

With that cleared up, Dumbledore quickly ran to the front lines.

"Show no mercy! Kill them all!" shouted a gleeful Lucius Malfoy, beating back an Order member and then killing him with the killing curse.

"Face me, you bastard! I swear you will die today!" yelled Remus challengingly.

Lucius laughed, "Ah, the werewolf comes out to play. How sweet," he said as they exchanged spells.

Remus sent a strong ripping spell quickly followed by bludgeoning spells and exploding hexes.

Lucius, surprised, conjured a black shield with a green snake on it and let most of the spells land on the shield, grunting from the force of the spells but remaining untouched. He fired back with a couple of dark spells and the battle ran on.

"Remus! NO!" cried Tonks as she battered down a Death Eater fiercely. The man withered under her assault and died before her as she ran to help Remus.

"Oh, dearest cousin Nymphadora has come to play?" Lucius taunted sweetly as he landed a bad cutting curse on Remus' leg. The werewolf howled in pain and fell to the ground, but not before surprising Lucius with a nasty spell of his own.

It smacked right into Lucius' unprotected left shoulder, shattering bone and tearing muscle. In a cry of pain, Lucius summoned Death Eaters to help him as he escaped from the battle.

"This isn't over!" he cried as he ordered a retreat.

Dumbledore had already downed six of them when they began to disapparate from the battle. He ordered the others to cease fighting and take care of the wounded or the dead before retreating. The rain was pouring now, obscuring everyone's vision and creating a slight mist. Dumbledore's boots squished and sloshed through the mud as he approached Remus, who was in grave pain.

A quick scan showed that it wasn't mortal and so Dumbledore fixed him up as best he could before sending him off with Tonks back to Grimmauld Place. The wooden house atop the hill suddenly collapsed, making them all jump, but the battle was over. They had won, though it had been hard.

However, unbeknownst to them, the Death Eaters had won this round, taking into account their victories elsewhere. Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, taking control of his powers once more, though the block he had put could no longer be replaced as his powers rushed back to their old levels.

Seeing that no Order member remained, he apparated back to Grimmauld Place, his eyes full of anger and yet also full of sadness.

* * *

_Hogwarts..._

Harry opened his eyes with a jolt, the darkness suddenly disappearing as the words of Dumbledore filled his brain. What had happened? He sensed the fear and hopelessness of the powerful wizard, and then sensed sizzling power and anger coming from the other end of the link. He didn't dare to disturb Dumbledore, but he wondered if he was alright and what was happening.

He then began to wonder who the woman was in his vision. She looked so familiar to him. Her calling of him was full of fear and hope, as if he could do something to help her. He just really hoped it was a vision and not someone who was actually reaching out to him. Then it hit him and a cold feeling settled on him.

"Hermione..." he whispered with dread as he bolted out the door.

* * *

_Granger Residence, earlier..._

Hermione put down her book, careful to place her bookmark on the page she just finished reading. For the second time in that hour, she felt like something was wrong.

She stood and walked over to the window, pulling back the drapes and glancing uneasily outside. She wondered who was out there from the Order, guarding her home, as she put the drapes back.

"Hermione, dear, what's wrong?" her mother asked from the couch, looking at her daughter with a worried face.

"I don't know mum. I-I've just been feeling uneasy lately, as if something's going to happen..."

"Come here, dear, why don't you-" but she never got to finish as an explosion rocked the house.

Hermione's eyes widened but she quickly regained control as she felt her panic rising.

Her mother was already calling Hermione's dad, her voice filled with dread as the ground trembled once more. The wards were holding but it wouldn't be long until the Death Eaters broke through.

The ground shook again and Hermione shook her head, she had to act, fast.

She fumbled for her wand and immediately ran upstairs, packing everything with a few movements of her wand. At that moment, getting expelled for underage use of magic was the farthest thing from her mind.

"Mom, Dad! We have to go!" she cried as she shrunk her belongings and put them into her pocket.

"Hermione, what's going on?" asked her father, anger and fear evident in his voice.

"Death Eaters, dad. The bad guys. No time to explain, we have to move now!" she said, her voice commanding.

She cursed the fact that they didn't have a connection to the floo-network. It would have been much easier, especially since she could not apparate or portkey. Well, she didn't know how to in any case.

"Follow me," Hermione said rather calmly, surprising both her parents.

They shared a glance but when the ground shook once more they quickly followed her as she burst through the front door, literally blowing the door off its hinges with a spell.

_'Come on, come on... there has to be an Order member somewhere here...'_ she thought frantically, her eyes searching.

"Anyone out there?! Order members?!?" she shouted, her feeling of dread and fear stronger than ever.

Where were they?? There was supposed to be someone here! They wouldn't leave us unguarded! But they had, and she suddenly came to that realization. Something must have happened.

The wards were still holding, but she knew they must have been surrounded so even if they ran for it they wouldn't make it. She cursed under her breath for not having a broom or any other transportation means. She cursed a second time for relying too much on the Order for her safety.

Harry was right, they'd have to fend for themselves, especially since they played a critical role in this war. She tried to think of any other way of getting out, but apart from blasting her way through who knows how many Death Eaters, there was no other way. Steeling herself, she cast the strongest protective spells and charms on her parents as she could, before hiding them under some bushes in the garden.

After making sure they were hidden, she cast a few trap charms around them in the event that Death Eaters found them or came too close for comfort. She then ran back into the house, preparing herself to give them a fight.

Multiple explosions echoed throughout the night and Hermione felt the wards fail. She knew they did, but she didn't know how exactly. She brushed the thought aside as a dozen Death Eaters came at the house from one side, meaning that there must have been another dozen on the other side.

"Bloody hell!" she cursed. She couldn't take on twenty-four Death Eaters alone!

She tried to reach out with her magic to anyone who could listen, who could hear her plea for help. She knew it was fruitless, but it was better to try and fail than to not try at all and pass the chance. There was always the chance. She had read in one of her books that sometimes, someone close to the person crying out with her magic may find out they need help. It was a rare occurence, but it was possible, and anything possible to help her was good enough for her.

Hermione heard voices outside and she strained to hear them.

"- burn the house down?" asked one of the Death Eaters.

"Negative. Our mission is to capture the mudblood, not burn her. Now get in there!" barked another.

A moment later one of them commented on the door and then they looked around, wondering if I had escaped somehow.

"Impossible, we had her surrounded and we would have seen her. Now search the house!" barked the same voice that had told them to enter.

Hermione gripped her wand tightly as footsteps thudded on the wooden floor of her home. She waited in her parent's room, her wand pointed at the door, ready to blow away the first Death Eater that entered.

"Search the upstairs!" said one of them and Hermione heard heavy steps ascending the stairs.

"Check all the rooms," hissed another one and she heard them seperate ways. Having no way of knowing how many were actually in the house, she carefully placed shields on herself.

The door opened slightly as a Death Eater poked his head into the room.

"REDUCTO!" she cried, and the man screamed for a split second before a loud explosion rocked the house, showering the room in splinters as the door disappeared, taking more than half the man with it.

"SHE'S OVER HERE!" cried one of the Death Eaters as Hermione made her move.

She dove into the hall and cast a tripping jinx on one of the Death Eaters, who fell on his face. She stunned him and then turned around in time to let a dark spell splash against her shield. It pushed her back but she dodged another volley and sent a few spells of her own against the other Death Eater.

He cast his own shield charms but Hermione wasn't worried as an idea came into her head.

"Expelliarmus! Reducto! Diffindo! Incendio! Furnunculus! Reducto"

The Death Eater laughed at the 'weak' spells she was using but as the spells landed on his shield, which faltered, he noticed the last reducto curse headed for the wall next to him.

He didn't have time to scream as the explosion occured from his right side, embedding him with splinters and tearing his arm apart.

"Upstairs!" cried a Death Eater from below. She sent a few hexes down the stairs, eliciting a cry from one of them.

"The bitch got me!" he cried in a pained voice.

"Stop whining! Rodney, get him off the stairs! Daniel, Martez, Angor, take her down!" ordered someone who was probably the commander.

Hermione prepared herself, carefully waiting behind the upturned table in the hallway, the vase that had once stood on the table was broke, the flowers within it strewn about.

The floor a few feet in front of her exploded outwards and she instantly thanked the fact that her shield was in front of her as splinters sizzled against her shields. A Death Eater flew up, which surprised her, and began casting a flurry of dark curses and spells at her. It was then that she knew that even with everything she knew she would be bested this time.

She tried to fight back, but the man was relentless as another Death Eater joined the fray. They combined shields, or put their shields side by side, and poured spell after spell at her. Her shields finally collapsed and she was thrown back as a few nasty curses hit her.

A few cuts, some deep and some shallow, covered her body as her breathing became erratic. Her eyes were wide as she tried to move but failed to do so. One of the Death Eaters smiled, a smile that she could see even behind his mask, and she shivered with fear.

"This is for making it difficult for us," he spat at her, "Crucio," he said calmly, pointing his wand at her.

Her mind faltered with the explosion of pain all over her body. Intense pain, as if she were roasting above an open fire and her skin was being sliced by thousands of knives. She was filled with a blinding pain and then it stopped. Her heart was beating rapidly and her lungs were sucking in large amounts of air as she fell into unconsciousness, her ears hearing the laughter of the Death Eaters fading away.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, that's another chapter for you all. Hope you still like it and thanks for the comments and suggestions as well as the reviews and support. 


End file.
